Bomb factory destroyed in Iraq raids

In three simultaneous raids north of Baghdad, coalition forces killed 10 insurgents and an Iraqi civilian today.

A factory being used to make roadside bombs was also destroyed, the US military said.

A pregnant Iraqi woman was wounded during the fighting in Taji, a city about 12 miles north of Baghdad where a major US air base is located.

Coalition forces discovered the factory and hidden caches of rocket-propelled grenades, machine guns, anti-aircraft weapons and pipe bombs, and called in US aircraft to destroy them, the military said.

Powerful roadside bombs are one of the most effective weapons insurgents use to kill and wound American soldiers.

During the fighting, soldiers killed 10 insurgents and wounded a pregnant woman and a teenage boy.

The teen was taken to a hospital where he died.

The woman was treated there for minor injuries.

“Coalition forces strive to mitigate risks to civilians while in pursuit of terrorists. It is always a shame when terrorists hide among civilian women and children, putting them in harm’s way,” the US military said in its statement.